Off-duty Sandwich officer charged with beating man

Friday

Jun 26, 2009 at 2:00 AMAug 4, 2009 at 2:55 PM

SANDWICH — A 10-year veteran of the Sandwich Police Department is being charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after an alleged off-duty beating that left another man needing 37 stitches to his face, police said.

GEORGE BRENNAN

SANDWICH — A 10-year veteran of the Sandwich Police Department is being charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after an alleged off-duty beating that left another man needing 37 stitches to his face, police said.

Byrne was placed on paid leave the morning of the incident, Miller said. He earns $61,000 per year in regular pay, town records indicate.

A clerk magistrate issued a criminal complaint against Byrne Wednesday after an internal probe was completed by Sandwich police Lt. David Guillemette, Miller said.

Miller declined to release specifics about the incident but said police responded to a reported assault at a home on Route 6A at 1:15 a.m. June 17. A man at the house told police he was assaulted by Byrne and needed medical attention.

The dangerous weapon was not identified, but the man told police Byrne was holding an object when he punched him, Miller said.

Miller declined to say what motivated the alleged assault.

A man who answered the phone at a number listed for Byrne said it was a wrong number. Byrne's attorney, Jens Bahrawy, declined to answer questions through a woman who answered his office phone.

Byrne is scheduled to be arraigned July 21 in Barnstable District Court. If convicted of the felony charge, he could face up to 2½ years in the Barnstable County Correctional Facility, Cape and Islands First Assistant District Attorney Michael Trudeau said.